Rick Hiebert, a Canadian reporter known for his past coverage of Todd Bentley reveals the Canadian charlatan who made a huge economic splash in Lakeland Florida is being groomed for a return to GodTV (?) and fleecing the flock again.
He also reveals Shonnah Bentley is disabled, having suffered bone cancer at 16. Doctors removed her left knee when she was a teen.
Is Bentley done? Hardly. Plans are already afoot to bring him back to full-time itinerant evangelism as early as late this year. And Mr. Bentley, who announced on leaving the revival that he has separated from his wife Shonnah, after reports in the press of two “emotional affairs†with other women may be divorced by the time he ministers again.
I can also reveal one of the reasons, virtually kept secret by the evangelist, that may be tempting Mr. Bentley to consider a divorce.
It seems that, contrary to the impression that the faith healing preacher has given for the past ten years that he has been married to Shonnah Bentley, she has been crippled by a lingering disability caused by bone cancer….
Mr. Bentley, as I found to my dismay when writing about him, has a way of wording things when talking about his past and ministry that leads people to believe things that are not strictly true. I found that I could only get him to be entirely truthful in some matters when I knew what the answers to his questions *should* be before I put the questions to him.
It would be naturally embarrassing to a faith healer that his wife has a life-long disability. Alas, Mr. Bentley has artfully avoided an embarrassing series of questions from the press, such as “Has your wife Shonnah had any lasting health problems due to her cancer? She has? Have you tried praying for her? How do you explain that your wife continues to have this health issue when your revival allegedly raises people from the dead…?â€
This begs a question – if Shonnah Bentley suffers from the effects of bone cancer and Todd Bentley thinks it’s perfectly okay to knee a cancer patient in the stomach, does he have a theology of contempt for the ill, for his wife? She told a Fresh Fire employee during the hyper-attention of Lakeland the cancer had also spread to her lung when she was younger.
 That Bentley’s immaturity was seen round the world courtesy of GodTV and YouTube is not in question. Several of C. Peter Wagner’s ‘apostles’ wives are ill, as is Bob Jones, one of Bentley’s mentors.
Illness is an affront in neo-pentecostal/charismatic theology.
Todd Bentley’s wife Shonnah’s lasting disability is an opportunity for Mr. Bentley to learn and mature in his faith, one that he would throw away by divorcing her. There are many people who would like to be healed by God, but whom are not. Many Christian theologians and ministers have explored the issue of how God can and does work in and through a sick person’s life and witness even if they are not instantly healed at a revival crusade. As someone who likes to specialize in this particular form of faith healing evangelism, Mr. Bentley really owes it to the rest of his audience to flesh out his theology.
prior posts ( I agree with Hiebert – Fresh Fire et al will probably do all they can to yank the YouTube videos again)
PS: Is media able to follow the money trail? Between the Strader family (Karl, Dan and Steven – Google them) GodTV moving it’s headquarters from Oklahoma to Washington and recently to Florida, Fresh Fire Ministries buying property in Florida and both GodTV and Fresh Fire registering as US charities, where did the Lakeland money go, and where is it going in the future?
Thanks very much for the mention! (It’s “Hiebert”, btw.)
My apology. Fixed.
You have done excellent reporting on Bentley over the years, thank you.
Your 2001 article was outstanding.
Sickening is what it is. While I hope that his wife recovers I think he is a vile creature.
im a christian and studied healing and deliveraances under and man and woman in orlando fla ,both with the Lord now .I witness many many amazing miracles first hand and up closed performed (not done by) the old man who he himself wore glasses all his life he never apologised or made excuses for God and his “oversight ” the old man couldnt heal nor can todd bentley but God choses thru peoples faith and Gods timing who will get healed “be careful of the yeast………..”altho i dont agree with todds divorce i also dont agree with slander ,again…be careful of the yeast!
There is something not right with the situation with Mr Bentley. We are called to be in the Word. Experiences that huge that are not backed by the word have to be questioned. Not all experiences nowadays can be summed up in scripture but hear me out. Angels of finance come on God is our source and promoter. This not slagging off its see something that is not right and speak out for the good of the church. Yeast? I take it you enjoy making bread!!!!!! Peace
bentley’s divorce doesn’t concern me as much as spending time incarcerated as a teen for sexually abusing a seven year old boy, frequently beating his mother black and blue and at times breaking her bones -again as a teen- and being deeply involved in demonic activity while practicing the occult. These are not accusations others made against him but admissions he made freely and were aired on the net. There was absolutely no sense of sorrow, or regret, no grief. I don’t recognize this reformation, this repentance, it’s not what I know of Christianity–this, ( lakeland, nar, third wave) does not bear witness with me at all. I’m convinced it’s demonic. These are the false prophets Jesus warned us about.
Sickening is what it is. While I hope that his wife recovers I think he is a vile creature.
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Jesus warned us of the false prophets in sheeps clothing and this one(todd) came with all the tats? be careful people God said in lev.19 ;28 do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lordshould allthe tats beena warning??
this is to dude , ye i enjoy making bread and eating it but love the word and weather a person is righteous or not its not ours to slander , my sheep know my voice is the church knew todd was a wolf in sheep clothing they wouldve got duped and now whining open your eyes church open your ears wake up from your slumber and again be careful of yeast
In short he was a bad person.
What i, or anyone else thinks of Todd is not relevant. I would like to say though, that i feel the Lord used him greatly in the ministry.
A large number from our church group (Church of the Living Word) here in Los Angeles, including many young people, went down for the two services he held here last fall. It has brought revival to our church and best of all, many of our youth who were couch potatoes, are on fire, fast becoming strong ministries themselves. While I’m grieved at the turn of events, I will continue to believe and encourage Todd that he will have complete restoration, healing and above all, total maturity in his spiritual life.
It is too bad he forgot where he started from. Some people think once you become a born again Christian that all of sudden you have brain damage and forget the mistakes you have made. What an opportunity to build the community by going back forensically into your past to correct mistakes and help others to not fall into the pitfalls of society. That is where Todd Bently should have started and not this big evangilization thing where although he helped alot of people he is going to hurt alot of people emotionally.
MT 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
MT 23:15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
Therese – People even Christians only see what they want to see
For all the so called good that Todd Bentley did he also did more bad and damage to many people and has turned off many people from Christianity by his lying, thieving, adultery, hypocrisy, and doctrine of demons!
I think he is a nut who is an illegal alien in United States and those who have supported him and are supported him are also nuts!
Todd will never change or be restored because he has repented of nothing and true repentance means not just breaking off with sin but restitution and Todd has not returned the 1 million $ he stole in Lakeland Florida and admitted he lied to get it.
And don’t get me started on his partner in crime and the great deceiver Pastor Stephen Strader part of the Strader clan who also are nothing but con artists!
There is nothing wonderful about Todd and he should be put in jail along with other sexual molesters, rapists, thieves and criminals as was Dan Strader and Jim Bakker.
What a poor example. This man should not be be in ministry and should not we allowed need vulnerable, hurting poeple and it should be a crime the people he takes advantage of.
The so called leaders like Joyner and Johnson that are supporting him should also have to repent.
What a joke all of those “apostles” are. I can’t believe people buy into this crap.
Give your heads a shake people they just want your money and they are power hungry. They do not care about you or their healing.
Bentley would rather take families last dimes to support his drugs and hookers. If you ask me that sounds exactly what Jesus would do…NOT!
“Bentley would rather take families last dimes to support his drugs and hookers.”
He has been a substance abuser, there are reports of alcohol abuse during Lakeland. Current use of street or prescription drugs? No one has stepped forward to say that is occuring.
Hookers? No evidence he pays for sex either.
I get your larger point; the prosperity gospel/NAR/dominionism theology deceives and robs using several manipulative tactics which are about personal power including guilt, legalism and millieu control.
im baffled! soooooo sad. HOW DOES GOD LOOK DOWN 24/7 AND PUT UP WITH THIS? I WAS GLUED TO GOD TV THRU THE BEGINNING TO THE END OF THIS SOCALLED CRUSADE AND SO MAD AT MYSELF FOR BEING DUPPED!!!!!!!!!!! i knew a woman who took her rent money to fly her daughter to florida and came home bammmm,nothing. im so sad………………..